When You Were Young
by durgarox
Summary: Jackie swore she'd never return, but circumstances force her back to Point Place. What will happen when she confronts her haunted past? Will she ever forgive those who hurt her? Will she forgive herself? JH, DE, much angst.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my first ever fanfic, inspired by the song When You Were Young, by the Killers. Hope you enjoy! **

**I have zero ownership. No T7S, no Killers, no nothin. Even my muse doesn't listen to me.

* * *

**

_And sometimes you close your eyes_

_And see the place where you used to live_

_When you were young…_

**January 1991**

Jackie closed her eyes and sighed. When she left Point Place over a decade ago, she swore she'd never come back. That town held nothing for her but bitter memories, and she was done remembering.

_You sit there in your heartache_

_Waiting on some beautiful boy to _

_To save you from your old ways_

"Now approaching Kenosha Metro Station. Please remain seated until the train comes to a complete stop. We hope you enjoyed your ride today, and will come back and see us at Metro."

* * *

When she got the phone call from the hospital in Point Place telling her that her mother had been in a car accident and was in critical care, she almost hung up the phone. When she left her old life behind, she also left behind everyone that was a part of that life. That included her apathetic and often clueless parents. She had told no one where she was going, nor had she contacted anyone she left since then. Jackie wasn't sure how the hospital had found her contact information, but she thought she had a pretty good idea. Pamela must have asked her lawyer to find her, though not because she cared. No, Pam would want to know what Jackie was up to, and make sure she wasn't trying to convince her father, still in prison, to give her control of his estate. Though near ruin when she left, some of his stocks had gone up, way up, once again making Jack worth millions, and it's no wonder her mom thought she might try for it. It's what Pam would certainly have done in Jackie's position. 

Not that Jackie had any interest in his estate. For all she cared, her mom could keep the damn money. Jackie was finally her own woman, and she didn't want anything to do with a single penny she hadn't earned herself.

She had to smile at the memory of the girl she used to be. Who would have thought that Jacqueline Burkhart, spoiled princess of Point Place, who honestly felt she was entitled to anything and everything she wanted, would one day refuse to be taken care of by someone else? But Jackie knew, now as she knew then, that taking money from her parents also meant giving up her freedom to live her life however she chose.

She always knew her father thought of her as a pet to be spoiled and shown off, and not as a thinking, feeling human being. She also knew that the second she hit puberty her mother stopped seeing her daughter, and started seeing competition for Jack Burkhart's attention. Not an entirely rational thought, but alcoholic sluts like her mom were rarely rational. She suspected that was why her mother made it a primary goal to get Jackie married off as soon as possible, and spun fairy tales of castles and a Prince Charming who would carry her off into the sunset to pamper her for the rest of her life. All Jackie had to do was be the princess he was looking for, and sooner or later he'd find her and she would live happily ever after.

Jackie had been an impressionable child, and took her mother's advice to heart. She became the pretty, brainless doll her parents wanted her to be, totally devoid of independent spirit. For a long time it was all she knew how to be. Until _he_ came into her life…

Abruptly she wrenched her wandering mind back into the present. No, not yet, she wasn't quite ready to revisit THAT particular set of memories. As the train slowly halted, she gathered up her purse and small suitcase, and stepped on to the platform. She wove her way through the crowd in her high heeled boots, and quickly hailed a relatively clean cab. The cab smelled like cigarette ash and cheap freshener, but it was a lot better than some of the cabs she had ridden in San Francisco. She gave the driver directions and settled back into her original line of thought.

* * *

She wouldn't stay long; she'd wait just long enough to see if her mother would live or die. She supposed she would have to stay a bit longer if the latter occurred, arrangements would have to be made for the body to be buried, and an obituary would have to be sent out. The thought was a bit macabre, but damn it, Jackie did NOT want to be here, of all places, after New Year, of all times. She was terrified that the memories that threatened to flood her brain would overwhelm her completely and cause all her careful control to crumble. 

Against her will she felt her treacherous neck turn her head toward the smudged window, and her eyes cautiously raised themselves up and focused on the world she had left behind so long ago speeding outside her temporary sanctuary.

Like her, Point Place had changed, grown with time into something barely recognizable. The buildings had become taller, and more numerous, while the trees were shorter and fewer. Even the kids hanging out on the street corners were somehow older, their eyes more jaded.

* * *

The cab let her out in front of the hospital; she paid the driver and asked him to come back in an hour or so and take her to her hotel. She looked at the building in front of her, took a deep breath, and resolutely walked inside. She took the elevator to the intensive care unit, and approached the receptionist. 

"Pamela Burkhart's room please."

"Pamela Burkhart…I'm sorry, but I'll have to page her doctor before you can go in and see her. You would be her…?"

She sighed impatiently. "I'm her daughter. I was called and asked to come here by a Dr. Rothstein."

The receptionist looked at her strangely, and did a double take.

"Oh my god… Jackie? You're Jackie Burkhart?"

"Beg your pardon, have we met?" Jackie didn't think so. She didn't recognize the rather dumpy, middle aged woman that was looking at her like she was some long lost sister.

"Jackie, it's me! I'm Pam! Don't you remember? Pam Macy? Well, Pam Kelso, now."

She certainly did remember Pam Macy, although she was still having a hard time seeing her inside this completely different person. The Pam Macy she remembered was a sparkling blonde with a great figure, even if she did use it for her own slutty ends. This person had dull mousy hair, crows feet from too much tanning, and could stand to lose about thirty pounds. Jackie had to fight not to snicker. _Huh, I never knew she was a bottle blonde._

She kept her snide thoughts to herself, and instead smiled politely.

"Oh, wow, Pam! Hi! Did you say Kelso? When did you and Michael-"

"No no, not Michael! God, could you imagine Michael and me… that was over in what? High school? No, I married Casey."

"Oh… Well, congratulations! When did you get hitched?"

"Gosh, it's been about five years now. He's working over at the Point Place Pre-owned Dealership now. We're doing quite well," she bragged, almost defensively.

"That's great, Pam," said Jackie, smiling. If ever there was a born used car salesman, it was Casey Kelso.

"I'm so sorry about your mom, though. The doctor should be here any minute," Pam was back to being professional, and Jackie was just as glad to drop the false nostalgia.

She soon saw the doctor, a short, bespectacled man with a somber face, emerge from one of the many closed doors in the hallway, and swiftly approach her.

"Miss Burkhart, I presume?" He gave her hand a brisk shake as she replied.

"Yes. Are you Dr. Rothstein?"

"That's me. If you'll follow me, we can discuss your mother's case."

As he led her down the hall, he filled her in on the details of her mother's condition. Pamela had been drinking heavily, and smashed her car into a street light. She had suffered a major head trauma, and had been in a coma for the last six days. It had taken Jackie three days to arrange for time off her job and travel to Wisconsin.

"Why wasn't I called sooner?" she asked indignantly.

"We did not receive your contact information right away. We first tried calling Mr. Burkhart, who was… indisposed."

"You mean in prison."

He coughed in embarrassment. "Ahem, yes. Then we called your mother's insurance agent, who got us in touch with her lawyer, who was able to give us you phone number."

"I see…" Jackie was quiet for a moment, then asked, "What are her chances of recovery, doctor?"

"Well, her condition is stable, but I must be honest with you, Miss Burkhart. Right now, your mother has about a thirty percent chance of fully recovering, and that percentage goes down more each day she remains comatose. Even if she wakes up, there is a good chance that she will sustain some brain damage."

Looking at Jackie's horrified face, he quickly said, "I'm very sorry, Miss Burkhart. Would you like to see her?"

Jackie really didn't want to see her mother in that state, even if she was a manipulative bitch, but she couldn't very well say no when the poor doctor had tried so hard to be gentle, and was letting her in after visiting hours. Numbly she allowed him to lead her to Pam's private room, and then nodded when he quietly excused himself. She stared at the pale woman on the cot without really registering the fact that it was her mother hooked up to all those machines. Finally she forced herself to focus on something else. She looked at the nurse who was checking the IV. When the nurse turned around, Jackie gasped.

"Mrs. Forman?"

* * *

Kitty Forman barely recognized Jackie. The soft, delicate child she fed cookies to in her kitchen had changed into a strong, graceful woman gazing wordlessly back at her. Her hair was cut into a trendy, sleek asymmetrical style, which somehow sharpened her features, and made her look less fragile. The sweet unicorn tee shirt and swirly, flowing skirt had been replaced with an impeccably tailored, close cut pantsuit and sharp stiletto boots. Even the way she moved was different. The dramatic flouncing and cheerful skipping was gone, replaced with the artless grace and economy of movement of a crane, or a cat. There was something else, some sense of self possession that was quite different from the self-centered attitude of years ago. The teenaged Jackie Burkhart might have wanted everyone to notice her beauty, but the adult standing in front of her dared anyone to mess with her. 

"Well, Jackie! How wonderful to see you again! Though I wish it were under different circumstances; I'm so sorry about your mother, sweetie."

"Thanks, Mrs. Forman. It's good to see you, too." Jackie smiled, and held out her hand. Mrs. Forman waved the hand away and embraced Jackie in a warm hug. Jackie tensed for a moment, and then hugged the motherly woman back.

It was then that Kitty noticed the suitcase by the door. "Jackie, hon, did you just get in?"

"Oh, um, yes, actually, I was just going to check into a hotel after I met with Dr. Rothstein," she said, a bit distractedly. She was looking at Pamela again.

"A _hotel_? Well, you can just forget about that, missy!" Mrs. Forman laughed delightedly. "You're staying with us! Oh, I'll just bet Red will be so excited to see you again; you know you were always his favorite-"

Jackie whipped her head back towards the happily chattering woman in alarm. "Um, Mrs. Forman, there's really no need-"

Too late. Kitty had someone else to feed again, and she wasn't about to let her go.

"Oh, and you can visit Eric and Donna, they live across town now, and maybe while you're here, they might decide to come over for dinner every once in a while!"

Jackie detected an edge of bitterness at that statement, but decided to keep her mouth shut. There was no escape for her now, so there was no reason to put her (apparent) hostess in a bad mood.

"And we can invite Steven over while we're at it!" Jackie blanched at the name, but Kitty didn't notice. "He hasn't been over in a while; it's really been too long for everyone. Oh, this is so wonderful, like a big family reunion! Oh, Jackie, it's so good to have you back!" She threw her arms around the bewildered woman again. "Welcome home!"

Welcome home, indeed.

* * *

**Well, what did you think? Should I continue the story? I welcome constructive criticism, so if you took the time to review, I'd be uber grateful! Cheers!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks SOO much for the reviews! dramatically wipes away tears Here is chapter two, where we get a little personal... muahahahaha! Enjoy!**

**Wait... let me check... nope, still own nothing.**

* * *

_You play forgiveness_

_Watch it now_

_Here he comes_

Mrs. Forman still had another hour to go until the end of her shift, so Jackie left her suitcase behind the receptionist's desk (_Pam's desk_) and walked outside. She didn't really feel like exploring, but the smell of death and sanitizer pervading the halls was beginning to make Jackie feel nauseous. She vaguely remembered passing a coffee shop not far from the hospital, so she decided to walk over and grab a cup.

As she walked down the street something arrested her eyes and she found herself standing in front of a Grooves store window. It was the man inside that captured her gaze now; he was behind the counter chatting animatedly with a customer. His curly hair was shorter than she remembered, and his concert tee shirt was partially hidden beneath an edgy black blazer, but she would recognize Steven Hyde anywhere. She stared until he glanced toward the window, then quickly turned away and resumed her search for coffee.

* * *

Hyde blinked at the window, not believing it possible that he saw who he couldn't have seen. _Jackie?_

No, no way. Jackie was gone, and wasn't coming back, ever. Not after what happened that New Year. Besides, the Jackie he remembered had been a sweet, helpless looking creature; the woman he saw for that instant had looked like she could kick his ass. He shook his head.

_Man, that film must have destroyed more brain cells than I thought; I'm starting to hallucinate._

He rang up his last customer and stretched. Technically he wasn't supposed to come in today, but Randy had called the entire day's staff in sick with the flu, and hadn't been able to get enough people to come in on such short notice. Not that Hyde had minded, he didn't have anything to do on his days off besides sit around his apartment all day drinking beer anyway.It was a slow day; already he sent the rest of his staff home; there were a few reports he wanted to go over, so he closed up early. Just before he was about to leave, the phone in the office rang. He scowled and went to pick it up.

"Grooves, this is Hyde."

"Steven! Oh, I'm so glad I caught you, you weren't home when I called. Aren't you supposed to be off today?"

"Oh, hey Mrs. Forman. Yeah, half the staff came down with the flu, I came in to cover. How are you?"

"Just fine, sweetheart! You'll never guess who's back in town and staying with us!"

Hyde felt the blood drain from his face. No way. It couldn't be-

"Jackie Burkhart! Oh, honey, it's so sad, her mother was in a terrible accident; I ran into Jackie in her room at the hospital. She looks wonderful, by the way, just wait till you see her!"

"Wait, what? _See_ her?"

"Well sure, you'll see her tonight at dinner! Unless you have plans…"

"Um, well-"

"Oh, good! Be here at seven, and bring over a bottle of wine, would you?"

"Ah, Mrs. Forman, I'm not sure I can-"

"Steven Jason Hyde, you are coming over for dinner tonight, and that is final. You and Jackie haven't seen each other in years, and it is high time you two got caught up! I don't care what may have happened before she left, the past is past and you are both grown-ups! I think you can both handle one gosh darn grown-up civilized conversation!"

She abruptly dropped her steely tone and laughed. "See you at seven, then?"

"Sure, Mrs. Forman."

"Good! And don't forget that wine!"

Hyde hung up the phone, feeling dazed. _What the hell just happened?_

Jackie came home. Jackie came HOME. Hyde never expected to see her again, now he was going to see her in _two hours? _Shit. SHIT. He hurriedly locked up and drove back to his apartment.

* * *

He stared at his reflection in his bathroom mirror for what felt like hours. He wondered how he might look to someone who hadn't seen him since he was twenty one. His righteous fro had been sheared down to a more professional length, and there were a few graying hairs near his temples. His blue eyes were still obscured by shades, but now the frames were narrow and rectangular, and the lenses were black. The eyes they covered were dark with shadows collected over years of lonely existence. Only now did he notice those shadows, and wondered if she would notice too, and if she would guess that those shadows were his tribute to her loss? 

He snapped out of his reverie. What was he stressing about? Kitty was right, he was an adult, damn it, he could handle this!

He took a quick shower and threw on a pair of grey jeans and a black Depeche Mode tee shirt. Briefly he considered running some hair gunk through his curls, but decided against it. He wouldn't want anyone thinking he actually put effort into his appearance. He shrugged on his black leather coat and headed out the door.

* * *

When he got to the liquor store, he browsed around for about five minutes before being approached by a sales clerk. 

"Need any help?" inquired the clerk politely.

"Um, yeah, I need a bottle of wine. Something… nice."

"No problem, sir, what's the occasion?"

"Um, well, I'm kind of having dinner with someone who I may have pissed of eleven years ago and haven't seen since."

"Ah." The clerk nodded wisely, as if such situations were an everyday occurrence. He strode off to a locked case, and returned with a somewhat dusty cask. "Here's what you want. Pinot Noir, from the Burgundy region. Exquisite bouquet, delightful finish."

"Great. How much?"

"$125.96"

Hyde winced. "Of course." He reached for his wallet, and the clerk rang him up. "Thanks."

"Good luck, sir."

Hyde nodded and walked back out to the freezing night.

* * *

When Jackie got back from her walk, she sent the waiting driver away with an apology and a ten for his trouble, and then met Kitty just inside the entrance. She was quiet on the drive home, and after a token attempt at conversation was met with monosyllables, Mrs. Forman stopped trying to get Jackie to talk. 

_Huh. I remember when you couldn't get her to shut her mouth. She must have changed more than I thought._

Jackie followed Kitty into the house after a warning to be quiet, as Red was probably taking his afternoon nap. She nodded and looked around at the once familiar kitchen. Once, but no more; the vibrant wallpaper and cheese-grater lights were gone, replaced by cream colored paint and frosted glass light fixtures. The room was clean, tasteful, and totally devoid of character.

Mrs. Forman noticed Jackie gazing around the room and let out her signature nervous laugh. "Oh, I know, it looks a little bare now, but we decided to give the place a facelift before we put it on the market. We're hoping to move to Florida in a year or two."

"But Mrs. Forman, I thought you guys had decided not to move. I thought Point Place was your home."

"Well, yes, but that was ten years ago, Jackie. We're getting on in years, you know, this house is a little big for just the two of us. Besides," She said, almost to herself, "Things change. Point Place isn't the town it used to be. It just doesn't feel like home anymore."

"I know what you mean," Jackie said softly.

* * *

Kitty led Jackie up the stairs to Eric's old room. It, too was barely recognizable without the old posters, action figures, and Star Wars sheets. The walls were bare, the shelves empty. There was nothing left of the room, or the boy, she remembered. 

"Okay, then, sweetie," Kitty said cheerfully, "There are towels in the closet, the bathroom is across the hall, and dinner won't be until seven, so you have plenty of time to freshen up. I'll call you down when everyone gets here."

"Thanks, Mrs. Forman."

"Call me Kitty, sweetheart."

"Sure, Mrs… Kitty."

Kitty left Jackie sitting on the bed, alone with her thoughts. When she agreed to come, she thought it might not be such a great idea. Now that she was here, she _knew_ coming wasn't such a great idea. Being immersed in an environment she had had to run thousands of miles away from to truly leave was wreaking havoc on her ability to control her emotions. Seeing how much that environment had changed had not eased the pain of her memories, it made them more poignant, and now instead of the purely hostile feelings she had been so used to, she now felt a vague sense of loss. Her rational mind tried to make sense of it all, but it, too, was lost.

She forced herself out of the whirlwind of her emotions and scolded herself. _Get a grip, Burkhart! It's just a goddamn house! You can handle being a pleasant guest for a few weeks, you've handled worse!_

Energized by her newfound resolve, she jumped up, grabbed a towel, and proceeded to "freshen up." She took a quick shower, towel dried her hair, and surveyed her wardrobe options. _Hmmm… What to wear to a dinner with people you ran out on over a decade ago? Decisions, decisions… _Finally she settled on a pair of soft purple corduroy trousers and a black cable knit sweater. She was trying to decide between gold hoops or diamond studs when Kitty called her from downstairs.

"Jackie, Steven is here! Come down, sweetie!"

Hastily she threw on the hoops and approached the staircase. She took a deep breath and slowly began to descend._ Here we go…_

_

* * *

_**Are we excited yet? Up next, old habits die hard, are J&H biting off more than they can chew? It's the awkward dinner from Hell! Next time, on When You Were Young! _(dum dum DUUMMM!) _lol cheers!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU for the lovely reviews. I know it's been ages since my last update, and I'm super sorry! This chapter was a tricksy little bugger, you'd think it didn't want to be written. It's a little short, but I wanted to give you something after waiting so long. Thanks for being so patient, and enjoy!**

**I own neither characters nor Killers, but if I did, I would open up a petting zoo so all the zennies could play with Hyde's fro.

* * *

**

**Chapter three**

_He doesn't look a thing like Jesus_

_But he talks like a gentleman_

_Like you imagined when you were young_

_Here we go, _thought Hyde as he rang the Forman's doorbell, holding the wine in one hand and running the other through his hair nervously. _I should have put on a dress shirt, she's gonna think I look like a homeless person. I can hear her now. "Steven, why are you wearing clothes from the goodwill? That's for poor people! Oh, wait, that's you, isn't it?" _He shook his head, disgusted with himself. _Man, you haven't even seen her yet, and you're already getting whipped. _He steeled his resolve. He wouldn't let her get to him, no matter what. Not this time.

Red opened the door and let him inside. "Steven. Get your ass in here, before you let all the heat out."

"Hey Red, good to see you, too."

"Ah, don't be a smartass. Now, listen, kid, before she comes down, I just want to let you know that Jackie is not comfortable here, and it doesn't take a genius to understand that if it weren't for her mother's condition, she wouldn't be here at all. The last thing she needs is someone bringing up old issues, and if you do or say anything to upset her, my foot will be so far up your ass you'll be able to shine my shoe with your tongue. Got it?"

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Sure thing, Red."

Red led the way to the kitchen, where Kitty was arranging cheese and crackers on a plate. "Oh, hello, Steven! I'm glad you made it! Take off your coat, honey, there you go. Boy it's cold out. Did you bring the wine?" He took off his jacket and she took the bottle from him.

"Jackie isn't down just yet, let me call her…" Kitty walked over to the bottom of the stairs, and Red and Hyde followed. "Jackie, Steven is here! Come down, sweetie!"

They heard rapid footsteps overhead, then Jackie appeared, looking just a little flustered.

Hyde looked at the top of the staircase and caught his breath. There she was… God, she was beautiful. Her short, damp hair had been brushed off her face, and her black sweater showed off her neck and shoulders. Her makeup was barely noticeable, and the only jewelry she wore was a pair of gold hoop earrings that brushed her face gracefully. He had never seen her put so little effort into her appearance, yet he couldn't remember ever seeing her look more elegant. He caught himself staring as she slowly descended the staircase, and quickly schooled his face into its usual mask of indifference.

* * *

_Oh, God, there he is. _Jackie watched Hyde's face surreptitiously as she glided down the stairs. She thought he looked at her with what almost seemed to be longing, before his face reset its usual rigid lines. She must have been mistaken, why would he have missed her? He was the one who drove her to leave in the first place. Jackie felt her heart harden once again. She wouldn't let him get to her. Not now, not after she worked so hard to get him out of her head.

When she reached the bottom she walked right past Hyde and embraced Red in a warm hug. "It's great to see you, Mr. Forman. How's your heart these days?"

"Oh, not bad. I still can't work, but cable has made hanging around the house like a bum a little more bearable. Did you know you can get four different sports channels?"

"I'm glad to hear it." She finally turned to Hyde. "How's it going, Steven?"

She might as well have been talking to her cat. "Whatever." _Ha! Try and mess with my head now!_

"That's cool," She replied with just as much indifference. If zen was what how he wanted to be, she could reciprocate.

* * *

The tension at the table was thick enough to cut with a knife. Or, as Fez would say, eat with a spoon. Both Jackie and Hyde were in full Zen mode. Hyde's face was stoic, his eyes unreadable even without the shades Mrs. Forman insisted he remove while at the table. Jackie was just as unreadable, however, her face a pleasant, if cool, mask of polite indifference. Kitty did her best to disguise her discomfort with idle chatter, and single-handedly kept everyone talking about nothing in particular. Red fully supported her strategy, even though he thought it was nuts putting these two, of all people together, in the first place. But he figured that as long as those two were busy playing it cool for each other, an uneasy peace could be maintained. As long as no one said anything stupid…

"So! San Francisco, how exciting! Sitting out in the sun all year, that must be nice."

"Actually, it can get pretty chilly there. You're thinking of San Diego. But yeah, I like it. It's a very diverse city."

"Diverse, huh? I guess that's one way of putting it…" Hyde finally said, with just a hint of mockery. He was tired of waiting for the other shoe to drop; Jackie was never this polite. She was as zen as he was, and no one was going to outzen him in his own territory. Especially not _her_. He'd make sure she broke before he did.

"Oh, is it? And how would you describe San Francisco, Steven? Because obviously you're so familiar with the culture…" replied Jackie smoothly. So he wanted to play mind games, did he? He clearly must have forgotten just who he was playing with.

Red cleared his throat loudly before Hyde could retort, and changed the subject. "So, Jackie, what are you up to these days? Job, husband, kids?"

Jackie flushed just a touch. "No, no husband. I have a really great job, though; I'm a buyer for the shoe department at Bloomingdales."

Hyde didn't bother suppressing his derisive snicker. He found himself under the hostile, intense scrutiny of three sets of eyes, but ignored all but the blue and green that were staring straight through his own baby blues.

"Is something funny, Steven?" asked Jackie in a quiet, carefully controlled voice.

"I'm sorry, it's just too perfect. You found a job _shopping? _I mean, I always figured you would snatch up some office drone to take care of you, I didn't think you'd cut out the middleman entirely. Very efficient of you, Jackie. Instead of leeching off another corporate slave, you decided to go work for the man yourself." Hyde snorted, oblivious to the warning glare Red was shooting him and Kitty's pleading eyes.

"Is that right? Well, thank you for sharing oh so valid opinion of _my _life and _my_ job. Now allow me to share my opinion of _yours. _Let's take a look at what you've been up to this past decade, shall we? A year after WB gave you Grooves, you opened another store in Kenosha, is that correct? Oh, you didn't know I knew that, did you?" She laughed coldly at his bemused expression. "I know a lot more than that. I know that five years ago you started up new business ventures on the west coast; record stores, gift shops, a concert hall in LA. You've got a reputation as one of the shrewdest businessmen in the western United States. So you expected me to marry a corporate drone? How many corporate drones do you have working for you? Who the hell are you to call me a slave for the man? Look at you, you ARE the man." She sniffed. "And I don't mean that as a compliment. _Hypocrite._"

Red and Kitty stared dumbly at their two feuding dinner guests. Red was impressed, and just a little frightened of Jackie at the moment. She hadn't lost her talent for insults, that was for damn sure. He glanced over at Hyde, who's expression was stony. Red watched him as he leaned back in his chair, stared at Jackie, and cocked his head.

Hyde smiled cruelly.

"How's the baby?"

**Muahahahaha! I love a good cliffhanger! Up next, flashbacks, more pieces of the puzzle, and what the hell do I mean, **_**baby? **_**All this and more in the next installment! Meantime, writers write faster when other writers write reviews! Lol, try saying that 10 times fast. Cheers!**


	4. Chapter 4

**OMG you guys thank you for all the awesome reviews! Even more, thanks for being so patient! I've been ridiculously busy with school, and didn't get to touch this for two weeks straight. It _sucked._ But now, at long last, CHAPTER FOUR! Enjoy!**

**I own nothing. I'm zen like that.**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

_Hyde smiled cruelly._

"_How's the baby?"_

_

* * *

Can we climb this mountain, I don't know_

_Higher now than ever before _

_I know we can make it if we take it slow_

Jackie stood abruptly, knocking over her wineglass. It toppled over and exploded onto the floor. Its contents seeped into the ground amidst slivers of shattered crystal, leaving a slowly spreading blood red stain.

"You bastard…" she said softly, before whirling around and running through the living room and back up the stairs.

"Well, nice going, dumbass!" Red was clearly pissed off, and was about to continue into a lengthy tirade that might well have ended with his foot quite literally in Hyde's ass had Kitty not cut him off abruptly.

"Don't start that now. Red, go check on Jackie, I think she may have stepped on some of that glass. Steven, go get the bleach and the broom and dustpan. Now." That rare steely tone was back, and both men knew better than to ignore it. Red made his way up the stairs while Hyde grabbed the broom and started sweeping vigorously. Why did he do it? Why did he have to go and bring up the kid? Why did he have to drink so much damn wine? He was always doing stupid shit when he was drunk. Stupid, stupid, fucking STUPID.

"Steven, be careful, you'll spread the glass around if you keep sweeping that hard. Here, give me the broom, go get the dustpan and hold it for me." Kitty took the broom from him and glared at him while he fetched the dustpan.

He obediently knelt down and held it for her while she swept the shattered remains of the glass into the dustpan and continued where Red left off.

"Couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you? You had to go and upset her by bringing up the baby. I don't know if you remember, but the last time you did that she disappeared for a decade!"

"Look, I didn't mean to, OK? It just sort of slipped out."

"Hah! Who do you think you're fooling, Steven? I practically raised you. I was there when you and Jackie were together, and I know how you were with each other. You said exactly what you meant to say. Was it too much to hope for that you two could restrain your urges to hurt each other for one night?"

She sighed, and stopped sweeping. Hyde poured the remains into a paper bag, then threw the bag away.

"Steven, do you even know _why _I asked you to come tonight? Just you, and not Eric and Donna, or Michael and Brooke, or anyone else?"

"No idea. I didn't think you had any reason."

"Well, you were wrong, Steven. The reason I invited you is because you were the only person who could relate to Jackie about her family. Do you have any idea how torn she must be feeling about her mother? I was hoping you would; I was hoping you could let go of the past and just _be there for her_, like you always could before. Was I so wrong, Steven?" Her voice wavered, just a little, and Hyde felt like the lowest scum on the planet.

"Look, I'm really sorry. I'll go talk to her."

"Leave her alone tonight, Steven. If you want to apologize to her, save it for tomorrow. I don't think she'll be very receptive tonight."

He nodded his head, dejected, and gestured toward the door.

"I guess I'll just go then…"

"Oh, no you don't. You've had a few too many to be driving anywhere tonight. You can stay on the couch, and go home in the morning. I'll have Red give you something to sleep in."

"Hope he doesn't kill me in my sleep…" Hyde muttered.

"Don't let him hear you say that; you'll give him ideas." Kitty warned, then shooed him away while she finished cleaning up.

* * *

Jackie managed to reach the bathroom and lock the door behind her before the floodgates opened and released it's torrent of tears and memories. She slid down the wall onto the floor, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face as she sobbed. And remembered… 

_January 3__rd__, 1980_

"_Jackie, are you sure you want this?" He lifted his eyebrows questioningly, even as his fingers caressed her flushed skin. She moaned softly._

"_I'm sure," She breathed. "I want you. Come here…"_

_January 14__th__, 1980_

"_Fez, I need to talk to you."_

"_What is wrong, my goddess?"_

_She took a deep breath and steadied her nerves. Surely he would react well. Surely he would marry her and everything would be ok._

"_I'm pregnant…" _

* * *

Red knocked on the bathroom door nervously. He could hear her sobs, and cringed at the pain he heard beneath the tears. 

"Jackie? Is uh… Is everything ok in there?"

Instantly the sobs quieted, and he heard her sniff, then turn on the faucet.

"Everything's fine, Red. I just stepped on a piece of glass, and came up to clean it. I'm fine," She repeated, and he quietly backed away from the door, deciding to give her the space she obviously wanted.

He again found himself impressed by the petite brunette. He knew she had been crying like her whole world had shattered, but as soon as he said something, she was back in control. Her iron will was truly extraordinary.

He beat a hasty retreat down the stairs and saw Hyde sitting on the couch and staring off into space, expressionless.

"What are you still doing here, dumbass?" He barked, a little more harshly than he intended.

Hyde looked at him, his face still bearing no more expression than it had before. "Kitty told me to stay and sleep on the couch. If you want me to, I can still go."

"No, I guess it's fine. I'll get you something to sleep in." He disappeared back upstairs, and returned with a pair of faded blue sweatpants.

"Thanks, Red." He reached out to take them, but Red grabbed his wrist, and looked squarely at his face.

"Tomorrow," he said deliberately, "fix this."

"I will, Red. I promise."

* * *

Jackie hadn't lied, she really did slice her foot on the glass. She sat on the toilet and examined the cut that was now shedding slow thick drops of blood onto the tile floor. She grabbed a washcloth from the shelf and held it to her foot, putting pressure on the wound until it stopped bleeding, then searched the medicine cabinet for a roll of bandages. She quickly located the gauze behind a big white plastic bottle and wrapped her foot tightly and tied the bandage off. The cut was shallow enough that it shouldn't need any special treatment. Gingerly she stood on both feet, then knelt down and cleaned the blood off of the floor. As she rinsed the soaked washcloth in the sink, she stared at the pink water and contemplated her situation. 

Well, the cat was out of the bag now. She had hoped to avoid the issue altogether while she was here; she should have known better. Even if Steven had kept his mouth shut, sooner or later someone would have let their curiosity get the better of them and started asking questions. She had no idea how she was going to handle being here much longer, yet she knew she couldn't leave. Not yet. Sooner or later, she would have to face her ghosts.

She rung out the cloth and hung it on the towel rack, then carefully washed the makeup from her face. She dried off quickly and darted out of the bathroom and into her (_Eric's_) room. She closed the door behind her and locked it, then rummaged through her suitcase looking for a nightgown. She located a short slip and changed into it, then crawled into bed, exhausted.

_Tomorrow, _she thought before drifting off to sleep, _I'll fix this._

_

* * *

_

**Yay! Chapter four, and no evil cliffhangers. Up next, Hyde grovels (just a little), Jackie explains herself, and an old friend drops by and says hello... Stay tuned! Until then, reviews always warm the heart keep the fingers a'flying. Cheers!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sigh. As the Counting Crows sung, "It's been a long December, and there's reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last." I know it's been ages, but real life really has no sense of convenient timing. I shall endeavor to be a bit more brisk with the updating hereafter. This chapter does NOT have the promised groveling and explaining... BUT! there IS an illuminating flashback. The rest is set up for the next scene. Meanwhile, enjoy.**

**I own nothing, and if I did, I'd probably be taken in for negligence. Sigh. **

* * *

** Chapter Five**

Hyde woke up with a splitting headache and a crick in his neck. The headache wasn't terribly unusual; the crick was. He opened his blurry eyes to find himself in the Forman's living room, on the couch to be precise. For a moment he didn't have the faintest notion of _why _he was riding the Forman's couch, but then the memory of the night before hit him like a particularly vengeful hausfrau with a frying pan.

Ah, shit. Jackie. The wine. The burns. The _baby._

* * *

_January 14__th__, 1980_

_Hyde was sitting in the basement in his usual chair with a beer in one hand and a copy of Rolling Stone in the other. He heard the door open and slam back shut, but didn't look up until he heard __Fez__'s voice wail._

_"Hyde! You will not believe the travesty that has occurred!"_

_Fez's woeful visage was so tragic it was __funny,__ and Hyde didn't bother fighting a snicker. "What happened, man? Randy finally __find__ your candy stash?"_

_"Aiee, it is even worse than that, my apathetic friend. I," He let out a dramatic sigh, "have sown the last of my wild oats."_

_"Huh?"_

_Fez__ looked slightly irritated, but again drew himself up in dramatic fashion. "I am in the family way…"_

_"WHAT?" said Hyde, finally catching on, yet unable to believe what he just __heard._

_"I knocked up Jackie, you stupid sonofabeetch!" snarled __Fez__, before flopping down on the couch and cradling his face in his hands._

_"Oh, woe is me. Now I will never get to return to my carefree bachelor days. No more casual sex for __Fez__." _

_"__Fez__, you hated being single. And you never really got much casual sex anyway."_

_"And now I never will!" wailed __Fez__ pathetically, who actually looked like he might cry before Hyde frogged him in the arm. __"Ai!__ What was that for?"_

_"Man, snap out of it! You gotta think logically here. Now, you and Jackie have been dating for what, less than a month, right?"_

_"What is your point?"_

_"Well, how many times could you possibly have had sex? Wait… don't tell me any exact numbers, got it?" He said, grimacing at the image of his pervy friend and his foxy (evil, he told himself sternly) ex naked in the same room._

_"We have only consummated our relationship once! It was glorious. She has the perkiest…"_

_"For Chrissake, __Fez__, will you focus? You only did it once. Did you use protection?"_

_"Of course I used protection, what kind of moron do you think I am?"_

_Hyde laughed, relieved. "A really big one, if you believe her."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Man, think about it! You only had sex once, and you used protection! She isn't really pregnant!"_

_Fez__ looked elated, then confused. "But why would she tell me she is knocked up if she isn't? It makes no sense."_

_"Come on man, it makes perfect sense! This is Jackie we're talking about. A desperate, crazy, demonic force upon the Earth! She couldn't get Kelso or me to marry her, and now she's trying to get her hooks into you!"_

_"I don't know, Hyde," said __Fez__, looking uncomfortable, "Why would she want to get married so soon? We only got together this December…"_

_"I don't know, maybe she thinks if you get married now you won't leave her when she finally starts driving you nuts, just like she has every other guy she's been with."_

_"This doesn't sound like the Jackie I know and worship. But you are right, my friend. How can she possibly be pregnant? Oh, Hyde, thank you for showing me the light!"_

_Hyde slapped him in the back. "Hey, man. What are friends for?"_

_Fez__ smiled at him. "Now what shall I do about Jackie?"_

_Hyde snorted. "What do you mean, what are you gonna do? Dump her, man!"_

_"But she lives with me. I don't think I could live with an ex-girlfriend…"_

_"So kick her out. She'll be __fine,__ she can crash with Donna or something. Besides, what do you care? This chick tried to marry you under false pretense. She doesn't deserve any sympathy."_

* * *

Hyde groaned and got up from the couch, and headed for the bathroom. Bloodshot eyes stared at back at him from the mirror, and the circles under his eyes were even more prominent than usual. He splashed some water on his face and rinsed his mouth out in a futile attempt to get rid of the acrid, cottony feel on his tongue.

He staggered back out and into the kitchen, and found Jackie sitting at the table nursing a cup of coffee. She was dressed in a little cotton slip and deep violet silk robe, and her messy hair was held off her face with a black headband. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were bleary, but even mussed up and hung over, she was breathtaking.

Wordlessly he moved past her and poured himself a cup, then sat down across from her at the table.

"Good morning to you, too, Sunshine!" she grumbled crankily. "Thanks for making coffee, Jackie! Did you sleep well, Jackie? How's your foot Jackie?" She glared at him, waiting for a response.

"Whatever," he croaked.

"No, not whatever! You come here last night and start burning me out of nowhere, you bring up the one thing you knew would push me over the edge, and now you sit down like I'm not even here, like you don't owe me an apology? I'm not putting up with that shit anymore, Steven! I deserve better than that!"

"Dammit, Jackie, will you keep it down? You'll wake the Formans! Look, I just woke up, my head weighs a ton, and I haven't even had any coffee yet! If you could just give me ten minutes instead of pouncing on me the second I sit down, then maybe we can talk. Okay?"

Jackie looked mutinous for a second, and Hyde instinctively drew his calves under his chair protectively. But she nodded reluctantly, and rose from her seat.

"Okay, look, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I really think we should have a talk, because I really don't have time to indulge in some juvenile burn war with you. I have to go to the hospital and sign some forms, you can give me a ride and we'll try to hash things out on the way. Oh, and Steven, just so you know, I'm willing to try to get along with you while I'm here, but don't expect me fall for your old BS. I'm not seventeen anymore."

With that she stalked off, leaving Hyde alone with his thoughts. Good God, eleven years hadn't softened her shrill voice when she was angry at all. He briefly considered bailing; hashing things out with Jackie seemed about as fun as listening to MC Hammer while sober. But he knew she was right about one thing, they couldn't just revert to their old pattern of burning and pretending not to care. So instead he got up and went back to the bathroom in search of something for his head. He found two aspirin and swallowed them dry, gagging slightly at the taste. He headed back to the kitchen and sipped his coffee, waiting for Jackie to emerge.

* * *

He heard the kitchen door slam behind him, and turned to see Eric, looking pale and even twitchier than usual. Eric spotted him and yelped.

"Hyde! Man, what are you doing here?"

Hyde stretched languorously. "I could ask you the same question. Shouldn't you be, oh, I don't know, with your wife?"

Eric yelped again and glanced around nervously. "Shhh! Don't say that so loud! What if my mom hears you? Anyway, that's who I'm hiding from. Apparently, when a pregnant woman asks you if she looks fat, "you look healthy" is the wrong answer."

Hyde chortled and gestured toward the chair opposite himself. "In that case, Forman, commence with the crouching and the shaking."

"Haha. Funny, Hyde," replied Eric sarcastically, but slunk into the chair obediently. "So how are the stores doing?"

Hyde shrugged. "I can't complain. I had to cover the store in town yesterday, Randy lost half the staff to that bug going around. How are the kids?"

Eric shuddered. "I don't know why the hell I went into teaching. They're all monsters. Hellions. I take back what I said about Jackie back in the day, 7th graders are true hellspawn."

Hyde's mouth quirked to one side, as he saw Jackie come up behind Eric, arms crossed over her cashmere covered chest. "Funny you should mention…"

"Mention what?" He turned around and launched himself out of his seat, knocking it over with a loud crash.

"Oh my dear sweet Jesus, the Devil!" he yelped and crossed himself.

Jackie merely raised an eyebrow derisively. "Nice to see you too, Eric. Since when are you Catholic?"

Hyde stood and put on his coat. "It's about damn time. Are you ready to go, Jackie?"

Instead of answering, she brushed past both men and sauntered out the door and over to Hyde's car, the same El Camino he had driven since high school.

Hyde shook his head and patted a shell-shocked Eric on the back. "Catch you later, Forman."

Eric watched as Hyde and Jackie got into the car and drove off. He shook his head, and mumbled to himself, "That's it. I've finally lost it…"

* * *

**Et Voila! Short, I know. But I figured I could either make you wait another week for eight pages, or I could give you the four that were done.** **I thought** **you'd appreciate a little something now. You know whats up next... hehe. In the meantime...review! Go on, do it! Cheers!**


	6. AN

**OK people, here's the scoop. I had it, it was totally there, and then... I lost it. I _knew _I should have plotted out my story arc before starting. Oh, well. Live and learn. I still know where I want this to go, but now I need help getting there. So, I'm issuing a call to arms! PM me with ideas, suggestions, I'll even take a few thorough scoldings if you think that's what I need, so long as I get something, anything, to work with. I promise all ideas used will be cited with my thanks. Here's what I need:**

**-Hyde is still pretty taciturn. But now, so is Jackie. They don't want the other to burn them again, so both of them are playing it close to the chest. But I NEED them to get to talking about past events. Note, this is gonna be the chapter to introduce the big baby reveal. I just need to get them talking, which neither of them wants to do. How do YOU, the reader, think I can give them the nudge they need?**


	7. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the reviews/suggestions, guys! I'm very excited about this chapter. It's still a bit short, but I think I've gotten everything back on track. The song in this chapter is Nothing Compares 2 U, the Sinead O'Conner cover.**

**As usual, I have no legal rights to T7S, The Killers, or Sinead O'Conner. I just like to play with them.

* * *

Chapter Six**

_January 14__th__, 1980_

_Fez was speaking to her. She had processed that much, but anything more detailed than that most general piece of information was being blocked from her brain by the five pieces of matched luggage currently holding all of her belongings. She stared at them, not comprehending what they could possibly be doing in front of the door._

"_Jackie? Jackie!"_

_She snapped out of her trance and looked at Fez, noticing his expression for the first time. Discomfort and guilt, those she had seen on his face before. But this time there was something different as well, something defiant in his eyes. This was not her sweet Fezzie. _

"_Have you heard a word I said, Jackie?" Fez asked, his tone exasperated. "I said you need to find someplace else to stay."_

"_You're kicking me out? Me. Your girlfriend. Your PREGNANT girlfriend. Fez, you can't be serious!"_

"_Look Jackie, it's really simple. We used a condom. People don't get pregnant using condoms. That means either you're lying to me-"_

"_Why would I lie about something this big, Fez? What do you want me to say? Condoms break sometimes! Do you think I want to have a kid at eighteen? Do you think I want to marry someone I've been dating for a month?"_

"_You were sure desperate to marry Kelso and Hyde when you were with them…"_

"_That's not true, Fez! Okay, maybe I did want to marry Michael. I was young, I was stupid. And yes, maybe I wanted to marry Steven _eventually, _but not right away! You of all people should know that! What's gotten into you? You don't sound like yourself at all!"_

_Fez shifted uncomfortably, and looked away. Jackie examined his face closely, and suddenly the answer hit her._

"_Oh my god. Who have you been talking to?"_

"_I might have mentioned something about this to Hyde… but that's not the point! The point is, the condom did not break. I would have noticed if it did. Either you are not pregnant, which would make you a liar, or you ARE pregnant, with someone else's baby, which would make you a cheater."_

_She stilled her protestations at that last comment. She felt her own expression harden, even as her heart broke._

"_Is that what you think, Fez? You think I cheated on you?"_

"_I didn't say that-"_

"_You didn't have to."_

_She turned and walked past him and out the door, then slowly spun around to look at him again._

"_Goodbye, Fez."_

"_Jackie-"_

"_I said goodbye." She said softly before closing the door._

_She waited a moment, half hoping the door would open and he would come after her._

_It didn't.

* * *

_

Jackie and Hyde sat in uncomfortable silence as he drove through the winding roads of Wisconsin suburbia, each trying to think of something, anything, to say to break the pressing, unnatural quiet.

Hyde reached over to turn on the radio. Sinead O'Conner's voice floated through the car.

_It's been seven hours and fifteen days_

_Since u took your love away_

_I go out every night and sleep all day_

_Since u took your love away_

_Since u been gone I can do whatever I want_

_I can see whomever I choose_

_I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant_

_But nothing_

_I said nothing can take away these blues_

_Cause nothing compares_

_Nothing compares 2 u_

Abruptly Jackie switched off the radio, before hastily looking out the window in a futile attempt to cover her obvious discomfort.

Hyde cleared his throat.

"So, um, about last night…"

"What about it?" asked Jackie warily, mentally steeling herself for another burn.

"I just wanted to say… I guess… Look, I'm really sorry. I was out of line."

"Yeah, you were." She replied shortly. He waited a full minute for her to say something, before clearing his throat again. Okay, so she wasn't going to make this easy for him.

"And…um… I'm sorry about your mom."

"I'm not." She replied with feigned indifference. "She was bound to get smashed and do something stupid sooner or later. I'm surprised it wasn't sooner."

"You can't mean that, Jackie. Look, I know what it's like, okay? I had issues with Edna, and I didn't really know how to deal with them when she died. It was hard, and if I had had someone to talk to, someone that got it, well…What I'm trying to say, Jackie, is that if you want to talk or whatever… I'm here. I get it."

"How generous of you, Steven," she said sarcastically," That's really big of you. But I really don't need a shoulder to cry on. If I ever DO need one, I'll be sure to let you know. While I'm at it, maybe I'll bring a load of firewood and invite the whole town. That way, when you start using all my emotional issues to publicly burn me, you won't have to make any extra effort."

"Look, man, I'm trying here! I said I was sorry, and I meant it. And I get that I was a jerk, and I'm sorry for that too. But you're the one who wanted to 'hash things out,' and I don't see YOU making any effort. So if all you want to do is punish me for something that happened eleven years ago, will ya let me know now so I can stop wasting my time begging for forgiveness?"

She snorted. "You call this begging? You haven't scratched the surface. And it's gonna take a lot more than a few words to make it up to me. Words don't mean much. YOU taught me that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked angrily.

"Don't you remember? It didn't matter to you how many times I said I was sorry to you. It didn't matter to you how many times I swore I didn't sleep with Michael, nor was I about to. You never believed me. Actions worked better for you. Like, sleeping with a nurse instead of talking to me. Or going out and dumping me for a stripper. Or," she added with a bitter laugh, "convincing my boyfriend to kick me out of our apartment when I was pregnant."

Hyde winced, and pulled into the hospital parking lot. He turned off the engine, and touched Jackie's shoulder to stop her from leaving the car. Her sweater was impossibly soft beneath his touch.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, looking into her eyes. "I don't know what I was thinking. Or even _if_ I was thinking. Just that, when I heard you were having Fez's kid…"

"I wasn't," she muttered, before shrugging off his hand and climbing out of the car. Hyde let that last comment sink in for a moment before hastily exiting the car and running to catch up with her swift strides. He grabbed her arm, rough this time, and turned her to face him.

"What do you mean, 'I wasn't'?"

Jackie seemed to ponder the question, a considering look on her face, then sighed. She began rummaging in her purse. As she searched, she began to speak, almost as if to herself.

"After I had my son, I put him up for an adoption. I had no way to support the both of us. I was lucky to find a couple as perfect as I did. His parents are really great people, they remind me a lot of Red and Kitty. They agreed to let me have an open adoption, so I still get to see him occasionally. They even send me a picture every year." She finally extracted a small photograph from her wallet, and handed it to Hyde.

Hyde stared at the picture. Comprehension dawned on his face. He looked at Jackie, who nodded slowly in confirmation.

The boy in the photo looked about ten years old, and was clutching a rope swing. An older woman was behind him, with her arm wrapped around his waist. The child was smiling. He had dimples that framed his wide grin, and wild dark curls that were confined in a baseball cap.

And a pair of twinkling, baby blue eyes.

* * *

**Tadaaa! So, what did you think? Am I super evil? Review, please!!! Cheers!**

**Thanks to Ace's Buddy, Shameless 2542, sometimestheycallmejackie, and Skittlezlvr79 for your help/suggestions!**


End file.
